Health Ministry: local drug prices dip from 8% to 44%

Botschaft Usbekistan, January 23, 2017

As the head of our state adopted the Decree “On measures for the further improvement of providing the population with medicines and medical products”, responsible ministries and departments have been entrusted with specific tasks. But how all these measures are implemented into practice? Are they satisfactory? And most importantly, what conveniences are created for the public, for the people?

With these questions we addressed to the head of the Main Department on control of quality of medicines and medical devices of the Ministry of Health, Khabibullo Jalilov:

— The Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures for the further improvement of providing the population with medicines and medical products” aims at providing the population and medical institutions with quality and affordable drugs used in the treatment of diseases that are widespread among the population. The resolution came into force on 1 January 2017. Its performance has to be perfect, as it aims at the interests of the people.

Frankly speaking, the medicines' prices at pharmacies were different in recent years, which caused a fair dissatisfaction of the population.

In accordance with this Decree, a new order has been introduced since 1 January 2017 to eliminate such cases. Fr om now on, the wholesale and retail sales of pharmaceuticals and medical products, whether they are imported or purchased from domestic producers, is carried out with the use of lim it trade extra charges, as defined, regardless of the number of intermediaries involved in the supply. Their size for wholesale distribution is established the level not exceeding 15% of the purchase price, for retail sale – not more than 20% of the wholesale price.

Certain prices have been set up for more than 300 kinds of socially significant medicines and products of medical purpose, widely used in medicine. These prices are set quarterly by the Republican Commission established to carry out system monitoring of medical institutions and population with drugs and medical devices, based on the analysis of fluctuations of world prices.

Gross violations of the procedure for the assignment of prices for medicinal products and medical devices by legal entities can involve strict penalties and even provide for the deprivation of their licenses.

In general, the implementation of this document contributes to a better saturation of the internal market with affordable, quality medicines and medical products, prevents the negative practices of the prescription of diagnosis and treatment not provided by standards, as well as prevents the import of expensive drugs.

In order to enforce this decree in the field workshops will be organized. The seminars provide information about the nature and content of this regulation and its objectives. However, from 1 January 2017 in all, about 5500 pharmacies of the Republic organized by the “user Area”, which will be presented a minimum list of medicines and medical products of the first necessity, mandatory for all pharmacies and the list of medicines sold without a prescription, fixed prices for medicines and medical devices, comparative table for 2016 and 2017 produced for sale at fixed prices of the local medicines and medical products.

Regarding the benefit of this resolution for the population, I want to cite one number. Comparative table of local medicines and medical products produced for sale at fixed prices for 2016 and 2017 shows that prices of domestic drugs have fallen from 8% to 44%.

Now the population has the opportunity to purchase local medicines and medical products on much lower price.

Such documents, ongoing reforms are important because they are primarily aimed at human interests. Undoubtedly, such efforts will further increase the effectiveness of the public health protection.